1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 9:1-2 KJV)
Commentary
Blessed Paul, in his ministry, not only faced opposition from outsiders but also discouragement from those within the church. He was reproached and criticized; false brethren questioned his apostleship and worked hard to damage his reputation, especially at Corinth—a place where he had done much good and served faithfully. Yet some among them caused him great grief.
It is not a strange thing for a minister to receive unkind treatment from those for whom he has labored diligently and with good success. Some among the Corinthians questioned, if not denied, Paul’s apostolic authority. In response, he defends himself in a way that also presents him as an example of the self-denial he had just been recommending in the previous chapter (1 Corinthians 8).
He first asserts his apostolic calling and authority: “Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1). One essential qualification for apostleship was being a witness of Christ’s resurrection. Paul had indeed seen the risen Lord—though not immediately after the resurrection, yet after His ascension (Acts 9:3-6). He possessed the same commission, authority, and power as the other apostles. Whatever respect, honor, or support they could rightfully expect, Paul could claim equally. It was not because he lacked the right to live from the gospel that he worked with his own hands, but for other reasons related to his ministry (1 Corinthians 9:14-15).
He next points to the success of his ministry among the Corinthians as proof of his apostleship: “Are not you my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you; for the seal of my apostleship are you in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 9:1-2). Through the blessing of Christ on his labors, he had raised a church among them. Their conversion through his preaching was itself a divine confirmation of his mission. Ministers of Christ should not think it strange to have to prove their calling to those who have already experienced God’s work through them.
Paul also gently reproves the Corinthians for their ingratitude and disrespect: “If I am not an apostle to others, yet surely I am to you.” They, of all people, should have acknowledged his apostleship and honored his work rather than question it. It is not new for faithful ministers to be treated worst by those from whom they might expect the best. The Corinthians had every reason to be certain of his apostleship, for he had been instrumental in bringing them to faith in Christ. He had labored among them for nearly two years, and his work had borne much fruit, as the Lord said to him in a vision, “I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:10-11).
For them, therefore, to question his authority was an act of deep ingratitude. Paul had planted and watered the church at Corinth with great sacrifice and success, and yet they repaid his labor with suspicion. Such treatment has often been the portion of Christ’s most faithful servants.